"Juvia?" I only managed to say her name before she lunged herself at me. My instincts to dodge her kick failed me as I was still processing Juvia being alive. I was pushed outside the guild and pinned to the ground. Juvia stood above me with her hand pressed against my collarbone. We locked eyes. I was expectinggto find malice in them or hatred but all I found was confusion and sadness.

"You're not Akino." She breathed in before arching her eyebrows and finally releasing me.

By the time Juvia helped me to my feet and apologized we had been joined by some off the others including the girl that looked like Mirajane. She was up and center calling Juvia and me to hurry back into the guild. Juvia looked at me  and nodded to wards he. guild. "Come on. We know about Earthland. Natsu and Wendy were here."

"They were!" The relief from hearing that two of my friends suddenly lifted a heaviness in my hear I hadn't noticed before. "Where did they go?" I barely made it inside when I turned around to ask Juvia.

She looked at me first in shock and then again in that same sadness as before. What was that for?

"They went to Royal City."

"That's where I'm going!" I started looking back at the entrance. If I leave-

"Erza is in view!" As soon as that was said, everything around me turned into chaos. I was pulled this way and that by Juvia until I was thrown into a small broom closet. Followed behind me closing the door and telling to stay still.

Outside, I could still hear the commotion and rustling of the others, but no voices. At least not loud. It was eerie listening to nothing but worry and rushing feet. I looked at Juvia who had leannd up agaisnt me to reach something above my head. I breahted in and coughed when I stated to realize tthat if sshe stretched out more, her chest would be up to my own face. Had she always been this tall? Wait. I stopped myself and looked up at a receding Juvia. She isn't Juvia.

Juvia was holding a box with a piece of blue clothing sticking out of it. I was admittedly confused at first until she revealed to me that it was a hooded cloak and a short dress. Juvia  held it up high. "Natsu and Wendy should have arrived at Royal City by now, we'll take you as close as we can but get out of those wet clothes." she gave me the clothes before leaving me by myself in the closet and I was reminded of how wet I was by the shiver running down my spine from the breeze of the door shutting behind her.

I got dressed. There was another me. Another Akino that had hurt Juvia.

There was so much I wanted to do before leaving, so much I wanted to ask Juvia. How was she here? How did we meet again? Why now? I looked down at the cloak and slowly pulled it on and over the dress. It was then, that I felt my body lighten and sort of relax. There was no magic around. I posed no danger to anyone or anything right now so I could let go. I could finally- the tears started before I could even finish that thought.

Juvia appeared again when the door opened and she signaled for me to follow her quietly. I did

In the main common hall, everyone was still bustling about but the worry was gone. Instead an air of purpose and intensity replaced it. Juvia guided me to the bar area where I saw Levy and the white haired girl behind the bar talking. Levy had a sneer on her face that i feared was directed towards me, but even so, Juvia pulled a stool by Levy and offered it to me. I hesitated but pulled myself up to the bar.

Levy snarled at me before slamming her cup in front of me. "What are you doing here?"

There was a glimpse of something in her eyes that betrayed her seemingly anger towards me but I couldn't tell what it was so I apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm just looking for me friends." I didn't know what else to do, Edolas' Akino was obviously a sore topic but I wanted to know why.

"They left." She tched before hopping off her seat and stomping away us. I watched feeling like i should go after her.

"Don't mind her." Juvia said. "She hasn't grasped the Earthland Concept and she doesn't like that." I could't help but chuckle, knowing that the Levy from Earhtland would LOVE knowing that a different world exists with all kinds of knowledge she would explore if given the chance. "She's nothing like the Levy of my world." Then I turned to Juvia."Nor you like my Juvia."

She turned to me ready to say something but was quickly stopped by a, "My dear Juvia!" We both turned to the screamer and I found something I had NEVER expected to see. Gray with at least three layers of clothes on. I could see two different colored scarfs over a jumper and cardigan, just under his chin I saw the collar of a white shirt under all that heavy clothes.  He made his way towards us, scurrying past the tables and groups of people talking softly to each other.

Juvia didn't let him get too close before landing a kick at his chest which knocked him back, she stood above him, holding him down with her foot. "Keep quiet. There's fairy hunters everywhere." She snarled hushly at him while he squirmed on the floor. "But my dear Juvia, I want to be with you"

"Wait," I stopped Juvia for reprimanding Gray again. "What are fairy hunters?" 

Juvia pulled her foot off Gray before turning to me. "They are the king's knights that Fairy Tail members. They are pretty scary."

"Specially Erza Knightwalker." Gray visibly shivered.  Erza is the enemy? "We have an Erza too. She's also pretty scary."  I said remembering my first encounter with Erza Scarlett, the verocity of the Titania was something to be feared then and still. So I didn't want to be in Edolas' Erza's crosshairs.

"Then you know how strong  she can be." Juvia grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the stool before the whole building came to life and started shaking. I grabbed onto Juvia as a loud rumbling shook my body and goosebumps scattered over every once of my skin. I was trying not to panic since everyone around me seemed to act like this was normal but I didn't know what was happening until suddenly  everything stopped. The noise and the movement stopped and Juvia let go of me. She ran towards the entrance I had passed through and  opened the doors. 

"Where did we land?" She turned to ask Levy who was by what looked like an engine of some sort, it was barely alive it seemed from the sputtering and smoke coming off from it. 

"Closer to Royal City." Levy yelled back as she was busy trying to fix? the machine in front of her. 

"Royal City?" I asked Juvia mostly. 

She smiled softly and nodded. "We tried to get Natsu and Wendy this close but we couldn't until now. All you need to do is head north for the the illuminated city." She motioned for me to follow her out of the guild. 

Outside was a barren wasteland. No trees, no life it seemed. Just desert. 

"I have to go." I said softly, mostly to Juvia. She nodded and smiled. "I know." She pulled out a small silver purse and threw it towards me form her side. I caught it with one hand.

"Money for your travels." She smiled softly. "Royal City is that way, you should get there in a few hours."

I smiled but didn't walk off just yet, there was something I wanted to know and I probably wasn't gong to get the chance to ask. "Juvia, what happened to Akino?" 

Juvia looked at me with the same sad eyes she had greeted  me with. "She's in Royal City."